Numbers 5-9

In amongst all the unfamiliar, the repeating, the not relevant to today’s world (well my experience of it anyway), is a blessing I’m familiar with. Not word for word but then the version I’m familiar with is most likely another translation of the same. Earlier in this section there is also reference to abstaining from drinking wine and beer too. It intrigues me that the Bible is used by difference religions and denominations of religions but each seems to take parts from it that it feels are important to follow while either ignoring other bits or feeling they are not so important, or not even relevant. Who gets to decide this?

With regard to the reference about abstaining from drinking wine and beer, there is also reference to not eating any grapes or raisins too but yet that, as far as I’m aware, has not been given the gravitas which not drinking wine and beer has, or alcohol in general not that spirits are mentioned here. I don’t really have an opinion either way on this issue: I’m writing this with a glass of wine beside me. However, I do feel that there are many people who place too much importance on drinking alcohol, drink too much, and I have no idea to what end they do this. Are they trying to escape from themselves? They certainly don’t seem to have more fun; it only seems to bring more hurt and despair. In many ways it’s enough to make me abstain voluntarily as a reaction to the excess, yet I wouldn’t feel that it was abstinence as it wouldn’t be missed.